Obama gave her a second chance at life, a year later, she threw it all away

Quote:

A Houston-area woman who was given a second chance at freedom by President Barack Obama in 2016 has been ordered to return to federal prison after violating the terms of her supervised release, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas said Thursday.

Texas City resident Carol Denise Richardson, 49, was originally convicted in 2006 for "conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine as well as two counts of possession with the intent to distribute cocaine base." At the time, U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison sentenced her to life in federal prison, noting that she had an extensive criminal history.

Wow. That must be one powerful addiction to throw away a true gift of being spared whole Life imprisonment, only to recidivate in the exact same manner that earned you a Life sentence in the first place.

I'd have more sympathy for her if she had only stolen to try to make ends meet, as they truly do just throw you out on your ass with very little support when you get out. But as she admitted herself: she only stole to buy more of the same old drug.

Mark Anthony Diaz, an attorney for Richardson, did not immediately return messages Saturday morning. Diaz told the Houston Chronicle that Richardson's theft was for $60 worth of laundry detergent that she was going to sell for drug money and that she cried at her hearing.

I'd be crying too, sweetheart. Damn. Just damn.

Just out of curiosity, how exactly does Federal SR work when you violate like that?

I guess when she got her sentence commuted by Obama, she "only" had 10 years of supervised release to do afterwards.

So is that the longest they can hold her for, for her violation? In which case, she may get a third chance to get back out and get her act together?

I presume, just like California and Ohio and other states, there is no way to just "top out" even your supervised release violation term by serving it in prison and be completely done with it and free and clear? In other words, when she does get back out, will that 10-year timer restart? Or will she get any credit for time served inside??

Mandatory supervised release does suck. I'm betting she wished Obama had just straight out pardoned her instead of commuting her instead. But then again, chances are, she would have still been going back, once she eventually got busted with the drugs she was going to buy anyway.

Just out of curiosity, how exactly does Federal SR work when you violate like that?

I guess when she got her sentence commuted by Obama, she "only" had 10 years of supervised release to do afterwards.

Cannot speak to federal, but would not be surprised if it is akin to many States that stipulate that a conditional pardon or commutation that is pissed away reverts to the original sentence.

Quote:

Mandatory supervised release does suck. I'm betting she wished Obama had just straight out pardoned her instead of commuting her instead. But then again, chances are, she would have still been going back, once she eventually got busted with the drugs she was going to buy anyway.

Then she could be facing substantial STATE time. She has a prior felony theft conviction in Texas with the required two priors PLUS the drug offenses, which means that $60 in laundry detergent qualifies her for an invitation to the habitual offender rodeo (25 to 99 or life) if the DA and the Grand Jury were so inclined.

"The judge Thursday told Richardson he was disappointed that she had wasted a rare opportunity at freedom. He ordered her back to federal prison for 14 months, after which she will serve five years of supervised release."

also, as relates to treatment...

"Diaz said he asked the judge to assign her to mandatory drug rehabilitation. He questioned why Richardson had not been assigned to treatment while in prison, and Ellison said the Bureau of Prisons does not provide treatment to someone with a life sentence.

Ellison said he'd make rehab part of Richardson's release plan.

According to Diaz, Richardson had a strong family support system she relied on to stay clean during the first few months she was out, but once she relapsed into drug use, she failed to maintain contact with them."

The lack of treatment due to a life sentence is peculiar but understandable given the federal release practices. However, the 'strong family support' falling away is precisely why State parole entities often place little confidence in bundles of letters professing support.

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It reads like she was stealing to get money to buy more drugs for her own use? That's too common unfortunately. Ten years in prison apparently didn't change anything. Most prisons provide almost no treatment.

Life sentence for possession with intent to distribute. Judge notes she had an extensive criminal history as justification for life sentence. They don't specify in the story what that extensive criminal history was. A history of drug crimes primarily feeding her addiction or something more serious?

Ultimately it's on her and she's going back to prison because she is incapable of getting her addiction under control. She did not get and maintain help that is at least available outside prison. Agree with Nickel Timer, she threw it all away. What a waste.

>60 bucks worth of anything is not worth a day in prison/county jail let alone over a long year or YEARS.

Weak for sure,and this is again another story of what "drugs"and a "Weak soul" can do,when you're not a strong woman, man et.al., if you're a weakling sadly you are going to be tempted/fall 4 just about "anything"and it shall continue to undermine your present/future,your life.smh

WOW it keeps getting better and better with dumb replies... 1st off Obama did not really do sh*t for that lady if he would of pardon her it would be one thing but he turned he loose in a system designed to fail. Obama an ex admitted drug user in all honesty should have never been president because he used illegal drugs and if were caught he would of been labeled a felon... As a mater of fact 3 presidents and probably a 4th with trump now who have claimed drug use in the past. What is the difference in getting caught and admitting to guilt? .... you ready for it NONE WHAT SO EVER THEY BOTH LAND YOU IN THE SLAMMER. we do not know how many times or days she used nor do we know the same for our presidents but she is now going to serve life for the one time we know for sure only because she was caught. Obama knew it was wrong to put non violent drug offenders in prison and took a bref stand against it until he realized how much money the government makes fighting a loosing war. If that "crack head" would of went to her P.O and said "im slipping i starting to use again" do you all know what her P.O would of done? i do she would revoke the woman or convince her to revoke herself and send her to Safp a 100% known failed 9 month prison drug course here in Texas that has the highest number of suicides then any other prison we have.Who in their right mind much less dope mind would go do that? The Problem is america is 100% two faced when it comes to drugs and addiction offers no real help then feels it should punish those caught because there is no better alternative for those people to even think about trying to get help... Ive seen some dumb comments in here claiming if everyone one did like cali and offered drug rehab instead of jail everyone would go to rehab and rehab does not work any way blah blah blah... they are admitting half the problem that rehab does not work but they we focus more on building prisons then researching to actually fix the issue. on the news a few days ago they got a new strand of meth going around in cali and did a drug sting and caught 25 users of witch only 6 opted for rehab... when are Americans gonna open their eyes and realize their narrow mined views are way off and wrong. Not one person who reads this and is honest with themselves can say they do not have some sort of a vice because its human nature to have them IDK or care what it is smoking drinking eating chewing gum even we all have something and before you all keep saying lock some one up for life (that is 30 yrs in tx) for getting caught with their vice one time try quitting yours and see how easy it is btw whatever yours is is not deemed addictive like drugs are so it should be a cake walk until then try to be more supportive of the actual issues and problems at hand and not the results.

These posts are over a year old, and Obama isn't the President any more, so what's the point?

Obama was not the president when this was posted. The fact that we are still over sentencing people over drug use and the fact that the system and the war on drugs has failed is the point. It should raise awareness to the fact that in the beginning Obama admitted to not only using drugs but to understanding the problems with our system. He came out all guns a blaring on the topic of our high drug use rate. Made statements claiming we should not be locking our people up over drug use and that we should be offering them help. Then just like that the topic faded away. No one even stops to ask how or why a topic that was discussed so strongly on had purpose and meaning just up and faded away without any reason. Should we not question what happened? This story claims Obama gave her a second chance but even in his own words he admitted he would not gotten as far in life if he had to face similar repercussions. Then to "let someone out" in a flawed system he was aware of doesn't seem logical or even the acts of the same person. What made him change his views his angle and his way of approaching the drug war? Was it becasue he discovered the billions of dollars made each year in fighting the drug war? Or did he discover the profits the government makes with their "human traffic" and "forced labor" business? This story is doing exactly what we are still doing today it is shaming a woman for having a drug problem. And making it seem like she was released worry free and was given every opportunity to correct the problems she faced each day. Which isnt true. Its about the same as me catching a stray cat for tearing up the trash holding it for a while then turning it out in the same place it was caught and expecting it to not go back to tearing up the trash. In all honesty this topic should be brought up and addressed more often until we fix the actual problem. But I guess to answer your question the point is a year later we are still dealing with stories just like this they may not of been released by Obama some stay locked up for many years but in the end they get cut lose just like the cat and we expect them not to tear up the trash. that's what is pointless i think